Backing card construction for dispensing adhesive tape labels



June 22, 1954 F. w. BRADY 2,681,732

BACKING CARD CONSTRUCTION FOR DISPENSING ADHESIVE TAPE LABELS FiledMarch 1, 1952 INVENTOR. Wu (LL Patented June 22, 1954 BACKING CARD C'ONPENSING ADHES Milwaukee, Wis.

STRUCTION FOR DIS- IVE TAPE LABELS Frederick W. Brady, Chippewa Falls,Wis., as-

signor of one-half to William H. Brady, Jr.,

Application March 1, 1952, Serial No. 274,460

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to backing-boardmounted, pressure sensitive tape,and it resides in an improved combination comprising portions ofpressure sensitive tape, adherently attached with a removable bond, to ahard, fibrous, splitable, backing-board having a separation zone beneaththe tape portions formed of cooperating, parallel, slightly staggeredlinear indentations on opposite sides of the board marking the sides ofa confined splitting area within which the backing-board can be cleanlyseparated by a tearing motion to release a portion of the backing-boardso that removal of tape portions will be facilitated.

Pliant sheet material coated with permanently tacky adhesive, requiringno solvent to activate the same, is commonly called pressure sensitiveadhesive tape. For convenience such materials are herein called adhesivetape. Adhesive tape cut to the form desired for particular uses such aslabels, masks and the like has found wide acceptance. To facilitate suchuses of precut adhesive tape it has been common to mount a series ofpre-cut adhesive tape portions in a row with the adhesive face of eachportion fixing the respective portion in temporary contact with a fairlystiif, resilient hacking-board. Such a backing-board acts as both apackage and a dispenser for the adhesive tape portions. For satisfactorymounting a board of material is chosen that does not pull away at thesurface and mask the adhesive upon the peeling of an adhesive tapeportion therefrom. To provide means for assisting in the removal of theadhesive tape strips from the mounting board, it

has been proposed that the board be weakened so as to be severable bycreasing along a line extending beneath the adhesive portions and thepresent invention resides in an improvement in such a structure.

A severable mounting board enables the user to strip a part of the boardfrom the adhesive tape portions to expose the ends thereof so that thesame may be grasped to facilitate the peeling of the adhesive tapeportions from the mounting board. In order to induce the desiredseverance of the board along a predetermined line beneath the strip ithas been the practice to scribe or score an indentation upon the face ofthe board to which the adhesive tape portions are applied. To produceclean and complete severance of a board so scored it is necessary tocrease it strongly along the scored line before the portion of the boardwhich is to be pulled away to expose the adhesive tape strips isremoved.

To reduce or eliminate need for creasing as noted the scoring depth maybe increased to further weaken the mounting board. Increased depth ofscoring, however, is objectionable in that the board may be weakened tosuch an extent that premature bending or breaking will occur along thescored indentation during normal handling of the board. If the scoringdepth is great, a further difficulty is encountered. In the course ofmanufacture of boards carrying pre-cut adhesive tape portions the tapeis first applied to the board and then out apart into strips or othershapes by dies pressed into the tape. The adhesive tape employed usuallyis composed of woven textile or felted fibre. If a deep indentationunderlies such tape the cutting dies tend to force threads or fibres ofthe tape material into the indentations without cutting such threads.Failure to obtain a complete severance of the threads or fibresinterferes with separate peeling of the adhesive portions and impairsthe usefulness of the structure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a backing-board-mountedadhesive tape construe tion that permits severance of a portion of thebacking-board upon application of a simple tearing pull withoutemployment of indentations deep enough to unduly weaken the board or topermit embedding of adhesive sheet material carried thereby within thescoring indentations.

It is another object of this invention to provide abacking-board-mounted adhesive tape construction that induces severanceof the backingboard within the interior portions of the boardsubstantially in alignment with the run of the preponderant graindirection without intersecting or meeting exterior surfaces of theboard.

These and other objects and advantages or" this invention will appear inthe description to follow. In the description reference is made to theaccompanying drawing in which there is shown by way of illustration andnot of limitation a specific form in which this invention may beembodied.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view with parts broken away of a series ofdispensably mounted adhesive tape portions fixed to a backing-board inaccordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the adhesive tapeportions and backing-board shown in Fig. 1 with a portion of the backingboard partially severed from the remainder to expose ends of a number ofthe adhesive tape portions,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in cross section of the adhesive tapeportions and backing-board shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in cross section of the adhesive tapeportions and backing-board shown in Fig. I viewed through the plane 4-4,and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in cross section of the adhesive tapeportions and backing-board wherein scoring indentations extending acrossthe surfaces of the backing-board have a contemplated depth greater thanthe thickness of the board.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 1 a plurality ofdispensably mounted adhesive tape portions 1 arranged in a row anddisposed on a card-like backing-board 2. The adhesive tape portions orstrips i, as shown, are in tended for use as identification labels suchas are employed for marking electrical wiring and the like. It iscontemplated, however, that the adhesive tape portions I may be of anyconfiguration and size desired and may be adapted for any suitable useor purpose such as masks, ornaments, dial faces, closures and others.

Each of the labels l comprises a thin layer of pliant sheet material 3composed of a suitable material such as paper, fabric or compositionhaving sufficient strength to withstand peeling of the adhesive from theboard 2. On the upper face of each of the labels I is printed markingindicia 4, suitable for the intended use, and upon the lower face ofeach label 5 is secured a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive ii. Theadhesive 5 is of the permanently tacky type which adheres without needfor moistening with water or other solvent. The adhesive 5 is disposedin facing relationship with the board 2 and acts to hold each of thelabels l to the board 2 until removed for use. While the labels 1 adhereto the board 52 the adhesive 5 is protected from contact with theatmosphere and with foreign objects and the board 2 by reason of itsstiffness maintains the surface of the labels 1 in an unwrinkledcondition. Margin areas of the board 2, extending beyond the margin ofthe labels l, enhance the protection afforded. lhe board 2 thusconstitutes a protective package in which the printed marking indicia 4are prominently displayed for ready inspection by the user.

It is preferred that the mounting board 2 be formed of a firm, stiff,resilient material of sufficient thickness to retain its shape and toresist bending during the usual course of handling. The board 2 shouldhave the further quality of not feathering, that is peeling away of athin layer of the board material, from the surface thereof, upon a labelI being removed therefrom, which feathering may mask the adhesive. Afurther desirable property is that of slightly greater strengths in alldirections other than directly across the thickness of the board so thata small but perceptible delaminating tendency, not sufficient to rise tofeathering is exhibited. Materials which have the above properties andwhich are therefore suitable substances for use as mounting boards forthe labels 6 are herein termed laminar concreted materials. By the termlaminar-concreted it is meant properties within the material are suchthat relative movement between the internal component constituents thatcomprise the makeup of the material is strongly restrained except for aslight delamihating tendency. Cemented felted fibrous material such asvulcanized fibre or resin bonded pulp 4 are examples of laminarconcreted material as the term is herein employed.

Extending across the front face of the board 2 is a scored line orindentation 6 that underlies each of the individual labels I. As is moreclearly shown in Fig. 3, the indentation 6 is of a depth approximatingone-half the thickness of the board 2. A second score or indentation Iof depth approximating one-half the thickness of the board 2 runs acrossthe back face of the board 2 parallel to but spaced laterally from thescore 6. The scores 6 and 1 act in conjunction to form a severance guideas hereinafter described and may be continuous as shown or may consistof a line of closely spaced short indentations.

The scores 6 and 1 are disposed closer to one margin of the board 2 thanto the other thus dividing the board 2 into a major body portion 8 and asmaller portion herein termed a starter strip s. The starter strip 9serves as a portion of the board 2 that may be removed so as to exposethe ends of the labels I to permit them to be grasped by the user inorder to facilitate peeling of the labels 1 fIOm the board 2 as they areneeded.

As is shown in the drawing, the scores 5 and i are offset slightly withthe scoring 6 on the front face being placed closer to the near edge ofthe board 2. The two scores thus embrace a small ribbon like portion orzone ll] of board material extending beneath the labels l which zonepresents a shortened path for delamination or splitting which is totallyconfined. The scores 6 and i are offset, in the preferred form of theinvention, an amount approximating 1 to 3 times the thickness of theboard 2. A greater offset strengthens the board but increases thepossibility of harmful feathering while a smaller offset may undulyweaken the board 2. It is contemplated that such greater or lesseroffsets may be employed in certain cases as special embodiments of thisinvention.

In the enlarged cross sections of the board 2 shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5a grain structure within the board material with a predominant run thatparallels the major surface areas is diagrammatically indicated assuggestive of the fibrous laminar concreted structure of a material suchas vulcanized fibre. The strength of such a material is greater incertain directions with respect to the run of the grain. Thus, tensilestrength in the direction of the grain is relatively large as comparedwith resistance to shear aligned with the grain or to tensile strengthnormal to the grain. As a result a splitting or severance running withthe grain may be accomplished with a small force if the area ofsplitting is small. Through the offset relationship of the scorings 8and i a splitting severance along the grain is induced and controlled soas to be confined within the small predetermined zonellli. This permitsseverance of the starter strip 9 with the application of a small pullingor tearing force by the user without need for preliminary creasing ofthe board 2.

While the efiort needed to remove the starter strip is small the unitaryprotective character of the board 2 is retained up to the time of usesince the confined zone of weakness Ill is overlapped by the adhesivetape 3 which acts to strengthen and reenforce .the zone of weakness.

Upon a pull being exerted on the starter strip 9 in the directionrepresented by the arrow H in Fig. i such as would be applied by anatural tearing motion, stresses within the ribbon portion l0 cause asplitting that extends with the grain and between the valleys of thescorings 6 and 7.

Where the scores 6 and 1 equal or exceed in their combined depths thethicknws of the board 2, a severance such as is shown in Fig. 5 willresult. If the combined depths of the scores 6 and i are slightly lessthan the thickness of the board 3 severance may occur as shown in Fig.4. Thus a complete separation of the starter strip 9 occurs withoutproducing feathering which extends to the surface of the board 2 to maskthe adhesive.

As noted the score 6 is disposed closer to the near edge of the board 2than is the score 7. With this relationship splitting ensues, as thenormal and natural tearing action is applied to starter strip 9, withouta binding of the two thin ledges of the portion Ill that are formed uponseverance and at the same time the short ends of the adhesive tapestrips are freed from the starter strip 9.

The scoring 6 which is disposed directly beneath the adhesive coatedfaces of the labels 1 may be made comparatively shallow, and thereforeof small Width at the surface or the board -2, so as to offer smallopportunity for textile threads of the label material to be embeddedWithin the scoring indentation. The cutting of the pliant adhesive tapemay thus be accomplished without the annoyance of uncut threadsextending between adjacent portions of the out adhesive tape.

I claim:

1. In a dispensably mounted pressure sensitive adhesive tape thecombination comprising a backing board composed of a thin layer oflaminar concreted material having a limited susceptibility to splittingparallel to its faces, a pressure sensitive adhesive tape portion inadherent contact with one face of said board, said board being dividedinto a. minor severable marginal starter strip portion and a main tapemounting portion by a pair of substantially parallel closely spacedlines of indentation each approximating one-half the thickness of saidboard in depth, one of said lines of indentation being in the face ofthe board in contact with said tape and the other in the opposite faceof said board, the two lines approaching one another sufiicientlyclosely to confine severance by splitting to a narrow zone of separationbetween them when tearing force is applied between said main mountingportion and said starter strip portion, said lines of indentation beingdisposed closer to one margin of said board to render said starter stripportion a minor part of said board and to underlie the adherent adhesivetape portion with a minor part thereof in contact with said starterstrip portion and a major part thereof in contact with said main tapemounting portion, the line of indentation in the face of said board incontact with said tape being disposed closer to the near margin of saidboard than the line of indentation in the opposite face of said boardwhereby said starter strip portion may be separated by tearing from saidmain mounting portion by force applied to said starter strip portion in:a direction away from said adhesive tape without causing interferenceand binding of the edges of said board formed by such separation.

2. A dispensably mounted pressure sensitive adhesive tape in accordancewith claim 1 wherein the said pressure sensitive adhesive tape portionis divided into a series of individual smaller portions by a pluralityof lines of division extending transversely of the lines of indentationin.

said backing board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,155,791 Holmes Apr. 25, 1939 2,401,417 Engle June 4, 19462,434,545 Brady et a1. Jan. 13, 1948

